18Th July 1973 949
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—18th July 1973 949 OFFICIAL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 18th July 1973 The Council met at half past Two o'clock [MR PRESIDENT in the Chair] PRESENT HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR (PRESIDENT) SIR CRAWFORD MURRAY MACLEHOSE, KCMG, MBE THE HONOURABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SIR HUGH SELBY NORMAN-WALKER, KCMG, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY MR CHARLES PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, CMG, JP THE HONOURABLE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Acting) MR JOHN WILLIAM DIXON HOBLEY, JP THE HONOURABLE THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS MR JACK CATER, CBE, JP THE HONOURABLE DAVID RICHARD WATSON ALEXANDER, CBE, JP DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES DR THE HONOURABLE GERALD HUGH CHOA, CBE, JP DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSUI KA-CHEUNG, CBE, JP COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR THE HONOURABLE IAN MACDONALD LIGHTBODY, JP SECRETARY FOR HOUSING THE HONOURABLE LI FOOK-KOW, JP DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE THE HONOURABLE ERIC PETER HO, JP DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY THE HONOURABLE IAN FRANCIS CLUNY MACPHERSON, JP DISTRICT COMMISSIONER, NEW TERRITORIES THE HONOURABLE ALEXANDER STUART ROBERTSON, JP DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS (Acting) THE HONOURABLE CHARLES JOHN GRAFTON LOWE, JP DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (Acting) THE HONOURABLE DAVID AKERS-JONES, JP SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (Acting) THE HONOURABLE WOO PAK-CHUEN, CBE, JP THE HONOURABLE SZETO WAI, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE WILFRED WONG SIEN-BING, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE WILSON WANG TZE-SAM, OBE, JP DR THE HONOURABLE CHUNG SZE-YUEN, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE LEE QUO-WEI, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE ANN TSE-KAI, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE ROGERIO HYNDMAN LOBO, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE MRS CATHERINE JOYCE SYMONS, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE JAMES WU MAN-HON, JP THE HONOURABLE HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE GUY MOWBRAY SAYER, JP THE HONOURABLE LI FOOK-WO, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE HUGH MOSS GERALD FORSGATE, JP ABSENT THE HONOURABLE OSWALD VICTOR CHEUNG, OBE, QC, JP IN ATTENDANCE THE CLERK TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MR DONALD BARTON HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—18th July 1973 950 Oath MR AKERS-JONES took the Oath of Allegiance and assumed his scat as a Member of the Council. HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT: —I should like to welcome Mr AKERS-JONES to this Council. Papers The following papers were laid pursuant to Standing Order No 14(2): — Subject LN No Subsidiary Legislation: — Immigration Ordinance. Immigration (Places of Detention) Order 1973 ................. 126 The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ordinance. Resolutions ...................................................... ................. 127 Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Ordinance. Proclamation No 1 of 1973 ................................. ............. 128 Banking Ordinance. Specification of specified liquid assets .................. .......... 129 Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance. Ma Hang Addiction Treatment Centre Order 1973 ........... 130 Prisons Ordinance. Ma Hang Prison Order 1973 .............................. .............. 131 Training Centres Ordinance. Ma Hang Training Centre Declaration 1973 ......... ........... 132 Training Centres Ordinance. Stanley Training Centre (Cancellation) Declaration 1973 133 Oral answers to questions Executive and administrative posts for university graduates 1. MR WANG asked: — How many vacant posts are available for graduates of our two universities in the executive and administrative grades and how many applications have been received from this year's graduates? HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—18th July 1973 951 THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER): —Sir, there are at present 25 vacancies in the Executive grade, which are available to University graduates, to "A" level holders and serving officers. There are 22 vacancies in the Administrative grade, which are available to honours graduates and serving Government officers. Recruitment exercises are now proceeding as a result of which we hope to fill all or nearly all of these vacancies. 294 undergraduates applied for appointment as Executive Officers last October. About 120 were found suitable for appointment and the majority of them have already reported for duty. 175 applications for Administrative Officer were received from this year's graduates, of which 104 came from the University of Hong Kong, 37 from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and 34 from Universities elsewhere. The results of this recruitment are not yet known. Anti-crime alarms in housing estates 2. MR WONG asked: — Is it proposed to incorporate anti-crime alarm system equipment or installations in future public housing estates? MR LIGHTBODY: —Sir, there are, of course, various ways in which we can try to make residents in public housing estates feel more secure, and the Housing Authority prefers the method of providing a proper caretaker service in all its estates. Such a service is at present available in a number of estates and appears to provide the necessary feeling of security. The Housing Department therefore intends to build on this experience and extend the same caretaking service to all its estates over the whole 24 hours of the day. For this purpose, it has recently applied for the creation of more than 400 new caretaker posts. I should explain here that caretakers are more than—much more than watchmen. Caretakers are trained to undertake emergency repairs to such equipment as water pumps and lifts, to take charge of accidents or give first-aid outside of normal office hours, and generally to provide a beneficial, official presence over the whole day. An alarm or watchman system could not provide this sort of personal service which is very important in these large estates. MR WONG: —Sir, I take it that Government prefers manpower rather than electric services for the anti-crime alarm system? MR LIGHTBODY: —We keep an open mind on these matters, Sir, but it is the Authority's intention to go ahead and see what good results, and we hope there will be good results we can achieve from this particular kind of manpower. HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—18th July 1973 952 Oral answers Ambulance services 3. MR CHEONG-LEEN asked: — In view of the increasing congestion of road traffic, is there any plan to increase the points where ambulances are located and the number of ambulances so as to minimize the time taken for ambulances to arrive at the scene of the accident and to enable casualty cases to reach hospital with minimum delay? THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER): —Sir, the short answer to the honourable Member is "Yes". There are at present 76 ambulances based on 22 strategically situated points throughout Hong Kong—that number includes the seven main depots and stations. The current approved programme calls for an increase to 91 ambulances by the end of this financial year and, subject to the approval of this Council, a further increase to 107 in the next financial year. The programme also calls for a further 10 ambulance depots, including four in public housing estates. Ways and means of ensuring that casualties are transported to hospital as rapidly as possible are always under review, jointly by the Fire Services Department and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, including the problems presented by traffic congestion. MR CHEONG-LEEN: —Sir, will we be getting up to 91 ambulances by the end of this financial year, and when will those 10 additional depots be ready? THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER): —I'm terribly sorry, Sir, but I couldn't hear the first part of the honourable Member's question. MR CHEONG-LEEN: —Sir, will we be getting up to 91 ambulances by the end of this financial year, and when will the 10 additional depots be ready? THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER): —The answer to the first part of this supplementary question is "yes". By the end of this financial year, we should be up to 91. The additional depots will come off the production line at various periods between now and the middle of next financial year. But, short of doing a HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—18th July 1973 953 special exercise on the Public Works Performance Programme, I wouldn't like to give a date on each. If the honourable Member would like to see me after the meeting, I'll hand him a list of the new depots. MR CHEONG-LEEN: —Thank you. Special facilities for handicapped persons 4. MRS SYMONS asked: — When will the report on the provision of special facilities for handicapped persons in buildings and in public transport vehicles be published? MR LI: —Sir, in May 1969, meetings of a Committee commenced to investigate the problems involved in making buildings and the facilities they contain more accessible to the disabled community. This Committee is chaired by a member of the Public Works Department. Representatives of my Department and Medical and Health Department together with a practising architect are members of this Committee. I understand that the Committee is expected to submit its Report and recommendations for a Code of Practice to my honourable Friend, the Director of Public Works, within the next three months. I also understand that after the Director of Public Works has considered the report, he will make recommendations to the Colonial Secretariat on its publication. In the meantime, however, Government is not allowing time to be lost in solving this problem. Already, some government recreational facilities are being designed to take into account the requirements of disabled individuals including those confined to wheelchairs. In addition, as part of my Department's Five Year Plan which honourable Members of this Council have seen*, discussions have started between members of my staff and voluntary social service bodies to seek new ways of increasing the supply of transport services for Hong Kong's disabled. The results of these discussions will be presented to the Social Welfare Advisory Committee for advice with a view to establishing specific plans for action in this area of social service. * Pages 27-8, 828 and 839-40. HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—18th July 1973 954 Oral answers Submissions on appointments and promotions 5.